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Formula E moves London race to 2015

Formula E, the world's first series for open-wheel single-seater electric race cars, has delayed what would be its inaugural race in London until 2015 due to planning and logistical hurdles.

The series launches next year and the U.K. capital was due to host the opening round in September 2014. However, when the Formula E calendar is announced on Friday, Beijing will be revealed as the season-opener with London becoming the final race in 2015.

Formula E is ready and able to hold its first race in London but Alejandro Agag, chief executive of the series, says that progress “is very slow because there are so many layers. It is not the mayor who controls this, it is the borough. For logistical reasons it is better to start in a continent and stay in the same continent anyway, so we are putting together all of the races in Europe. London now looks like it is going to be the closing race in 2015.”

All of the Formula E races will be held on city streets, and many are in exotic destinations such as Los Angeles, Miami, Rome and Rio de Janeiro. Agag revealed that he has identified three locations for the race in London, and says that he “is looking at Wembley as well as Westminster and the Olympic Park in Stratford.” Stratford put its name on the map during last summer's Olympic Games, the borough of Westminster is famous for being the location of Big Ben, and Wembley is the site of the U.K.'s national sports stadium.

McLaren, the championship-winning F1 team, is making the 300-hp electric motor which will power the Formula E cars. Its sponsor TAG Heuer will handle the timing and scoring, and former F1 tire supplier Michelin will provide the rubber. Another F1 team, Williams, is supplying the batteries, and Renault is the series' technical partner.

So far, three out of the 10 teams have been announced. Paul Drayson, the electric land-speed record-holder, will enter a team from a base in Oxfordshire. Others will be run by Chinese motorsports boss Yu Liu and former F1 driver Michael Andretti's Andretti Autosport. Fellow IndyCar Series team Dragon Racing, owned by Roger Penske's son Jay, is on board as well. A new outfit is expected to be announced imminently and is believed to be run by a well-known name connected to F1.

Agag said there is no shortage of interest in Formula E as 18 prospective teams have approached him. They are attracted by a $3.3-million annual cap on team budgets. In contrast, F1 has no cap, with annual budgets reaching an average of around $200 million.

Formula E has not yet announced who will drive for the series but some well-known names are expected to be in the field. Agag said that they will largely be ex-F1 drivers, with Bruno Senna, nephew of the late Brazilian world champion Ayrton, hotly tipped to be one of them.